The Black Lotus
by ayziks
Summary: A few months after Amon's defeat and revelations of his fraud upon Republic City, things seem calm. But ultra-violent fringe group, previously repressed by Amon, exacts its revenge against the City's bender leadership and Korra. This story deals with the consequences of forbidden bending to defeat the radicals. M for strong violence, assault. All characters property of Nickelodeon.
1. Chapter 1 - Unwelcome Guests

**Title:** "The Black Lotus"

**Author:** ayziks

**Editor:** divsalley

**Idea co-creator:** terrik_zion

**Rating/Reason:** M – scenes extreme bending resulting in death, sexual assault on an OC, violence and combat, nudity

**Summary:** In the first few months of the aftermath of Amon's defeat and revelations of his fraud upon Republic City and his own followers, the City seems calm due to a number of reforms. An ultra-violent fringe group, previously repressed by the iron will of Amon, is now free to promote its own, more radical agenda against the Republic bender leadership and the Avatar. This story deals with the moral dilemma of using deadly, forbidden bending techniques to thwart a very dangerous threat to the City by this extremist element of Equalists.

**Author's Notes:** This is my first M because of its heavy violence. This story resulted from a fascinating discussion with terrik_zion of The Korra Connection Forum and other members there about extreme bending moves that are far more deadly than anything shown on either series and the consequences of using them against others.

...

**Chapter 1: Unwelcome Guests**

It was relatively calm in the United Republic of Nations, especially in Republic City itself, in the days following the Equalist insurrection. The City was rebuilding after the battle, with plenty of construction jobs funded with foreign aid from the other Nations.

Amon had been revealed as a fraud and as a hypocrite – literally the blood bending water bender son of Yakone - who once terrorized the City himself through his crime empire. Amon's discredit as the son of the arch-criminal Yakone and his mysterious disappearance and rumored death, resulted the near-instant dissolution of the Equalist movement in disgust and sense of betrayal by its members.

But rather than cause more dissention and hopelessness for the disenfranchised non-benders, the Council acted quickly to give the City a new sense of trust. The Council voted unanimously, immediately post-insurrection, to have a non-bending Council member. The new Councilman's swift election – a former Equalist besides - further comforted the non-bending citizenry that lessons had been learned and the people had been heard.

The Arena was under reconstruction, and the citizens looked forward to Pro Bending restarting after considerable reforms. There were very serious discussions to add non-benders to the tournament teams, or even create non-bending sports competitions.

The confiscated advanced technology weapons made by Future Industries for the Equalists were being redesigned for peaceful purposes and commerce, especially the aeroplanes, which were being created to carry passengers and cargo swiftly across the continents. The City's biggest employer was now run efficiently by the daughter of Hiroshi Sato, who was personable and a great businesswoman as well as beautiful.

Hiroshi himself was quickly tried and convicted, and was incarcerated for life at the Fire Nation's maximum security prison - Boiling Rock - a fitting punishment. The only mercy his daughter showed to him was to appeal to the Council to commute his original death sentence. As final proof of Asami's disavowal of her father's actions – and his attempted murder of her - she chartered the airship from the City to transport him there without a goodbye.

But above all, the City felt much safer with '_their_ Avatar Korra' restored. Every day she restored many people who had lost their bending – and for most their livelihood - due to Amon. Some chose not to be restored, for fear of them misusing the power, or that bending was too much of a burden for them to carry any more.

Additionally, she had a handsome love interest, the former Pro Bending star Mako, which was endearing to the citizens. The paparazzi were generally kind to them, but the newspapers had at least one 'Makorra sighting' photograph every day. Photos of them kissing discretely were always the most popular, and they did that a lot. This young couple was different from Aang and Katara, because they had a strong sexual energy between them, teased each other mercilessly, and held a bit of irreverence for authority and traditions that the modern population found refreshing.

But that peace and calm didn't last long.

…

The Councilwoman representing the fire benders was celebrating her retirement in the park with family and friends. The White Lotus guards assigned to her protection were watching discretely from a distant for any harm.

The Councilwoman, having been abducted and debent during the Equalist Insurrection, made a decision that she no longer could serve, even with the threat of the Equalists gone. It had been too damaging emotionally. She just wanted to be home with her ailing husband and look after her grandchildren.

As her husband raised a toast in her honor and all the sake glasses were tipped, a commotion started in the woods surrounding them. The White Lotus guards were attacked with Equalist taser gloves. They dropped where they stood, and were stabbed and fell. They would not get up again.

The celebration partygoers screamed, and an Equalist approached her and her husband and the party on all sides. There was nowhere to go.

"Greetings Councilwoman. It appears we meet again."

"I remember you. You were the pest exterminator who captured me. She slapped him. How dare you interrupt my farewell party."

He rubbed his jaw as he said ominously, "Oh, we had every intention of making this a farewell party."

The Councilwoman heard the threat in the Equalist leader's voice, "I can't do any more harm to you. I am leaving public service. Because of you. And neither can any of these people."

The Equalist continued to intimidate her, "Oh, but you already did do the damage. And they are finished because they all call you friend or relative. Not one of you can walk away from here today. You and your colleagues and the Avatar were responsible for our beloved leaders' deaths. And now you will pay. And so will they."

"Do your worst to me, but save the children, I beg you," she stiffened.

"Glad to oblige your request," he said coldly.

He clasped either side of her head with two gloves and tased her to death. Her elderly husband tried to strike back, but another Equalist stabbed him with twin swords. The guests ran screaming from the scene, but were cut down by bolos, but not the kind that Equalists had used before. They were special versions called slasher bolos. The wires between the bolo balls were nearly invisible, and glinted in the sun with obvious sharp metallic edges. As the weapons wrapped around necks, legs, and midsections of the people they ensnared, the wires sliced cleanly through each victim. They literally fell apart as they ran. The scene was terrible.

In seconds, fifty people lay dead on the ground. But because of the grisly nature of the bolos, they were unrecognizable.

The Equalists disappeared into the woods, leaving the carnage behind.

…

In a brand new office, the recently-elected Councilman representing non-benders and other non-aligned people in the United Republic of Nations was writing a speech. The phone rang.

"Hello?" He greeted.

"Hello, Ping Deng. Enjoying your new 'legal' status now?" growled a familiar voice.

"_You!_ How dare you call me here, and use that tone. You know this is all for the best," defended Ping Deng.

"You are just a powerless token for the benders on the Council, and a traitor, as well as a coward," accused the voice.

"There must be a different way. A violent overthrow of the government is something I _never_ signed up for. That is not what the movement was about," Ping Deng reminded the caller.

"You naïve idiot. That's what it was always about. You can't leave the movement. It leaves you. In the gutter," uttered the man on the phone.

"Don't threaten me. I am not _your_ kind of Equalist. I don't think I ever was," admitted the new Councilman.

"You may think you represent the non-benders and the 'little guys' of the city, but you better think again. You are only a tool and a puppet to the real powers," said the voice insultingly.

"My election was overwhelming. I represent the people," stated Ping Deng emphatically.

The voice dismissed the Councilman's claim, "But you don't represent us. _We_ have the say in where this is going. Not _you_, and _not_ the people."

"People don't even know any of you still exist. I thought you were gone myself," chided Ping Deng.

The mysterious caller warned ominously, "Oh believe me, after today people will know we still exist. Today my followers started the final resolution to the 'problem of the benders' on the Council and the Avatar. Everyone who was associated with the death of Amon and the Lieutenant will themselves die. And their families."

Ping Deng was alarmed and asked, "How can you be that cruel? This is _madness_ to attack the Councilmen and the Avatar, and especially their families. No one knows if Amon is really dead, and I certainly couldn't believe the Avatar and her allies would do such a thing. Amon himself killed the Lieutenant. Mako and Korra told us so. Korra and her friends all know there would be consequences if they had killed them."

The voice ignored the Councilman's explanation, "Exactly. How do we not know they are lying to protect their skins? They will _know_ the consequences of what they did, until all of them are gone. Don't you dare say a word to the others, or you will be on our list too. Don't try to find us, and don't think you are ever safe. We will find you if you betray us again. Understood?"

"I understand," he hung up the phone, and he shivered. It was ironic how much a motivational factor fear was. The trouble was - it worked.

The phone rang again. It was the Council Page. There was terrible news. The Council would meet in a half hour.

…

The Council met anxiously. Outside the Council Chambers, the complex was ringed by White Lotus Guards, Lin, and the restored Metal Bending Police SWAT squad, all with shields, and with a fully armed contingent from Iroh's forces – the best fighters in the entire Republic. Korra herself helped guard the Council inside the Chambers, but listened closely as she watched for any sign of trouble. She was a different person as the fully-realized Avatar, and was able to draw upon the power of the thousands of her forebears to defeat any intruders.

_"__Surely no one will try something here,"_ she hoped more than thought.

It was unnerving to all – the City felt like the armed camp of only three months prior at the height of the insurrection. The damage to the Council gallery wrought by the fight between Korra and Tarrlok was not yet fully repaired, adding to the reminders that all was still not well.

The Council Page could barely get through reading the grim news. They were surprised at the degree of grisly violence directed against the elderly Councilwoman and her innocent family. This was not the same Equalist threat.

"They are _terrorists_, not Equalists. They sliced people to pieces for spirits' sake. They must be condemned and brought to justice," emphasized the Southern Water Tribe Councilman.

"What are we going to do?" worried the Earth Kingdom Councilman.

The non-bending Councilman Ping Deng risked all by saying, "We must take every step to protect ourselves. We have to assume none of us are safe; this is some kind of personal vendetta against us."

Suspicions arose toward the former Equalist spokesman from the new Northern Water Tribesman, "Your election was supposed to _keep_ this kind of thing from happening!"

Ping Deng was insulted, "How _dare_ you accuse me of having anything to do with today's events? I left those people behind. The movement itself is dissolved. We all thought it was gone completely. These are _outlaws!"_

Tenzin calmed the others, "There will be no incrimination here. Ping Deng's record of peacemaking within the Equalists is well known. He lived and taught the precepts they lied about having. And was never part of their combat machine."

The anger quelled.

Tenzin continued, "It appears that some elements of Equalists remain. The radical elements - those with hate on their minds, not equality."

The Earth Kingdom Councilman pounded the table, "Double the guards. Bring in the Grand Masters of the White Lotus to protect us and especially our families - not the new recruits. They can't protect anything."

Tenzin winced at that statement. His father and mother would be outraged.

The Council voted to never travel anywhere unguarded, and that each Council member's residence should be at all times under watch and with a huge protective contingent, and whenever they were gathered at the Council. They adjourned.

In the hours that followed, the Council chambers and homes became 24/7 fortresses, to the great sadness of Tenzin, Korra, and their colleagues. Combat aeroplanes patrolled the skies with airships full of counter-terrorism forces, armed against a new kind of Equalist foe not yet known, but clearly more deadly and uncaring of life than any enemy they had ever faced.


	2. Chapter 2 - Dark Secrets

**Chapter 2: Dark Secrets**

Pema's eyes flew open from a sound sleep, she nudged Tenzin awake, and whispered, "There is someone in the house."

Pema's maternal protective senses were as keen as Katara's. Silently, with air bending aid, Tenzin rose, and as a top-degreed non-bending Air Acolyte, Pema got out of bed just as silently. They noiselessly tracked the sounds and split up. She went to the children's room, and Tenzin went to Korra's room, but the door was already open. He could see Mako asleep next to Korra, both naked and still embraced closely together from their lovemaking earlier that night. A memory flashed of his early urgent nights with Pema. He blushed momentarily, but kept his focus on two attackers raising their long knives up to slash the sleeping young adults. Instantly, Tenzin blasted the two attackers against the wall with an air thrust. He heard snapping noises from broken bones and they groaned.

In the children's room, three attackers turned at hearing Tenzin's air bending against their colleagues in Korra's room, and saw Pema standing before them in the open doorway an attack position. Pema hurled her staff against the knees of one attacker, breaking them, knocked him down and drove him into his two colleagues, and sprawled all three into the furniture and floor. Their weapons clattered to the floor.

The commotion awakened the children. Seeing their mother in a fighting stance, and the three attackers, the three older children leaped from their beds in defensive postures. As one of the attackers rose, Jinora air-thrusted him against the dresser with a sickening thud. He slumped to the ground. But rather than be taken prisoner, he took his own life with his dagger. The second was rendered unconscious by her thrust. The remaining attacker leaped through the second story window, shattering window glass everywhere. He rolled out of the high jump and ran from the compound, limping from cuts and the impact.

He only got a little way before Naga took him down and was merciless. While Pema tried to shield her children's eyes from watching Naga dispatch the escaped intruder, the heavily injured second attacker awoke and took a poisoned pill, and died in front of them.

Shaken to the core, Ikki screamed at all the horrible sights. In the nursery crib and bed, Rohan and Meelo cried hearing her scream and the clatter of broken glass. Jinora was silent, but blanched and had to steady herself from fainting against the bed's finial at all the death around her.

Since the earlier killing of the Councilwoman, Tenzin, Korra, Pema, and the White Lotus were prepared to use lethal force to protect their family, as much as it turned their stomachs to do so. Normally peaceful Naga had taken her guard duties seriously against any attacker on Korra's order.

In Korra's room, the remaining Equalist reached out with his taser glove, but Mako was faster and shot a lightning bolt at him. It short-circuited the glove, amplified the stunning charge to lethal intensity, and electrocuted the Equalist. He was finished.

Looking at the assassin's limp body, Mako nearly freaked out, "I…I didn't mean to _kill_ him…"

Korra rushed to comfort Mako in an embrace, "It's all right; he wouldn't have blinked at killing you."

Mako swallowed hard with that realization, but he still felt terrible having to kill a man, even by accident in self-defense.

Tenzin couldn't help but see them together, and looked away. More than a little embarrassed to know they were still nude, Korra and Mako quickly put on kimonos and huddled together, still shaking from the attack.

"Sorry Tenzin," they both said together with some nervous laughter.

"It's OK, kids. It couldn't be helped. I am so very sorry that I had to invade your privacy."

"Because you did - we are alive to talk to you," Korra said gratefully and she hugged him.

Everyone gathered in the hallway, and started to relax. The children, Pema, and Korra all hugged and cried together in relief. Try as she might to be strong, Korra couldn't keep her tears back either. Mako and Tenzin were no less disturbed by the experience, having nearly lost everyone they loved in a violent battle, and surrounded the others in their arms

Suddenly from the shadows, a sixth attacker grabbed Pema from behind, seized her chin, and raised his knife to cut throat.

There was no time. Tenzin grimaced and clenched his fist so hard that it shook. The attacker dropped his knife, clutched his neck, and made gurgling sounds. His chest cavity collapsed, ribs snapped, and he blacked out as he dropped to the floor. He was dead before he hit the carpet.

Everyone looked dumbfounded at Tenzin as he relaxed his fist.

Pema stuttered as she recovered from the assault, "Tenzin, wh-what was that?"

Tenzin said sadly, "I think we all need to sit and talk. Let's call Lin and the White Lotus guards and get this cleaned up first."


	3. Chapter 3 - Kitchen Talk

**Chapter 3: Kitchen Talk**

In the very early pre-dawn morning, the Air Family, Korra, and Mako all sat at the dining room table. No one said a word, drained from the night's ordeal that was keeping them sleepless. No one was hungry for breakfast. The adults sipped tea nervously that Pema made to distract herself from the nightmare of the vicious attacks.

They contemplated their good fortune at all being alive and uninjured. The attackers were defeated. All were dead, accidentally or by their own hand. Except for one. One that was killed in self defense in a way no one had ever seen or expected by the most unlikely of people to do such a thing. Another thing was disturbingly different about this invasion of their home. Unlike the abduction by the Equalists during the revolution, everyone was still distressed with the realization that this was an attack meant to kill the Air Family, Korra, and Mako, not just capture and debend them, and to leave no trace. All of the Equalist fighters were prepared commit suicide in order to not be captured and be interrogated. It was the most extreme move yet by the remaining Equalists. And it almost worked.

There were so many unanswered questions.

Ikki broke the silence, asking nervously, "Daddy, what did you do to the Equalist?"

"I owe the adults an explanation. But you children should leave. This is pretty hard to explain."

Jinora defended her sister, "Dad, we can all hear this. You did something different with your air bending. We need to know what we can do – even the bad things - as air benders."

Meelo nodded his agreement seriously.

"Could I listen to the explanation too?" came another adult female voice.

Lin was leaning against the entrance to the dining area with her arms crossed nonchalantly.

"As the Chief of Police, or as a concerned friend? You might get two difference answers, Lin," inquired Tenzin.

"As your very concerned friend," she said as she strode forward, removed her badge, placed it on the counter, and sat with the family.

Tenzin sighed deeply, and began to explain, "That… was vacuum bending."

"What is that Daddy?" asked Ikki.

"It is a forbidden form of bending that removes air from an enemy's lungs so fast it creates a vacuum within. It suffocates an enemy almost instantly. It is always fatal. It was the only way to save your mother…"

All eyes turned to Pema, who teared up, and whispered, "Thank you, Tenzin. No matter what you had to do. I am grateful."

Lin said seriously, "Not to mention it bursts the lungs violently and implodes the entire chest cavity. The City coroner has never seen anything quite that destructive, Tenzin."

Jinora asked the inevitable question, "How many other forbidden air bending moves are there, Dad?"

"More than I should mention," sighed Tenzin.

Jinora pressed her father for answers, "Dad, you have to. What if we accidentally discover one of these forbidden moves, and kill or hurt someone badly? We need to know how to control ourselves _not_ do these things."

Tenzin took a deep breath and summarized air bending's forbidden moves. He described air thrusts with such concussive pressure they would shatter skeletal structures and rupture internal organs, snap spines from the powerful force. He detailed enhanced voice bending that would deafen an opponent or create unconsciousness, shatter glass, snuff torches and fires, and crumble walls and foundations.

Supersonic air slices were the most chilling.

"Your grandfather, in his rage about Appa's kidnapping, generated an air slice so concentrated that it cut a buzzard wasp in half."

"Cool!"

"Not cool, Meelo. Nothing to be proud of at all, son. That air slice would have cut any one of us in half. And permanently deafened any of us with the shock wave it generated. Supersonic air slices are faster than any train or even those new aeroplanes. No one can escape one. And because air just comes and goes, all this damage is done without a trace."

"Oh. Sorry, Daddy."

"There are two other forms. Each is the opposite of the other. The first is air liquefaction. We can slow the vibrations of air molecules down to the point that they nearly stand still. It literally freezes the air itself and anything within it. It's hundreds of degrees cooler that frozen water."

Mako said, "I've seen that at the Science Museum. Super cold air can freeze a rose solid, and then it shatters like a plate."

"Imagine people frozen that way, Mako," said Tenzin grimly.

He sighed and continued, "There is one final form: air ionization. We can manipulate the molecular structure of air itself. It electrifies air and heats it to temperatures beyond Princess Azula's famous blue flames. An opponent is simultaneously incinerated, electrocuted, and suffocated. Because ionized air is unbreathable."

"Oh dear, Tenzin," fretted Pema.

Korra cocked her head to the side, in a sort of vague recognition of air ionization.

With each passing day, Mako became more aware of his love's increasingly frequent 'Avatar Moments', so he whispered, "Korra? What's wrong?"

"Nothing – that just seemed…familiar," she whispered back.

Tenzin continued his discussion, "Air, when used violently, can defeat any of the other elemental bending. Without air, fire is extinguished. Without air, lightning has no easy path to trace. Without air, water- even as ice - turns instantly and harmlessly into vapor. Without air, the air trapped within every rock explodes instantly into an earth bender's face and body, killing, blinding, or maiming those benders."

"All those things really happened, didn't they?" asked an incredulous Mako.

"Yes, Mako, they did."

Mako shook his head in dismay, "Councilman Tenzin, forbidden air bending moves make blood bending or lightning bending seem tame."

Korra added, "Tenzin, I can't believe that the Air Nomads had air bending moves that were so deadly. You are a peaceful race."

Tenzin explained, "Without that discipline of peace, it would have been just as easy for us to be a Warrior Race. In fact, we originally were. Korra, every race has things it is not proud of in its past that are contrary to their beliefs now. Air bending has caused our beliefs to be the way they are now because of our own terrible past."

He paused and continued, "In many centuries ago, we had to defend ourselves more vigorously from the other Nations, who were constantly at war with each other. That knowledge has always been locked away, except in times of terrible crisis. When it was clear what was happening to the Air Nomads on the day of Sozin's Comet, the Masters fought the Fire Nation with everything they had. Your grandfather showed me the direct evidence of that. History does not record that the Fire Nation armies paid dearly for what they did to my father's people."

Mako flashed a realization, "Then all the races have these deadly forms of bending, don't they?"

"They do, Mako."

"Why don't we have them now?" asked Ikki.

"The Dark Arts disappeared after the Dark Times," stated Tenzin.

"What are the 'Dark Times', Tenzin?" asked Pema, amazed and a little bit upset at knowing now that Tenzin had been keeping a very deep secret from her.

Tenzin explained, "The Dark Arts are forms of deadly bending that flourished in a time in history mostly, and fortunately, forgotten period called the Dark Times. There were not always Four Nations. In fact, in the Dark Times, there were about forty nations, all of which were really just small tribes. The tribes were constantly at war with each other, with violent killings and massacres of the others just because they bent differently."

He continued, "It was not just fire against water or air against earth and all the other combinations; there were wars of fire against fire, water against water, earth against earth. And air against air. The four Air Temples were originally fortresses against all foes, even from the other air benders. At no time on earth did people show more hatred against each other even among their own kind. Even the Air Nomad genocide paled in comparison. Humans would have killed each other to the last man standing. The gift of the spirits to mankind of bending was their undoing. It was a total misuse of what the Lion Turtle described to Father as 'bending the energy within each other.' It led to the need for the skill of removing bending from a person altogether to save people from themselves."

They all sat in complete shock in these revelations.

"Why don't we know about these Dark Times, Tenzin?" asked Korra. I have yet to sense any of this in my few spirit journeys.

"Because the spirits and spirit animals, like the Lion Turtles, Avatars, and White Lotus Society – which was created then to save the world from itself - have carefully guided mankind since those terrible days to unify the world in peace, and to forget the existence of the Dark Arts and Dark Times and their threat to humanity - so that never happens again."

"Thank you Dad, for being truthful with us. We will always protect this knowledge," promised Jinora. The other kids nodded earnestly.

"I will also teach you how to restrain yourselves from dark air bending," assured Tenzin.

Ikki squirmed, "Daddy, who taught you restraint?"

Tenzin, paused and swallowed hard, "Your grandfather."

Korra let out a low whistle while everyone sat in shocked silence.

"Daddy, will there ever come a time when Dark Arts can be used for good?" inquired Ikki.

Before Tenzin could answer, Pema interjected, "I am still your Mother because of one of those times, children."

They all hugged.

…

While the children managed to get back to sleep, the adults all remained seated at the kitchen table in disbelief at the vicious attack, all pondering, "How did they get in to our home? How did they get past the White Lotus?"

There were no good answers.

In the light of day, after a thorough search of the Island, the answers were revealed. The intruders infiltrated the island in a small black boat with a silent electric motor and moored in a blind spot on the northwestern cliffs. They'd stealthily scaled the cliffs and made their way to the residence undetected by infiltrating through garden, using the flowers to mask their scents. Even Pabu and Naga had not heard nor smelled their approach.

Tenzin sighed, "We aren't safe in our own home anymore. We have to move."

Korra asked rhetorically, "But where are we safe now? They could find us anywhere. Just like they found and murdered the fire bending Councilman."

She stumbled.

Mako immediately steadied her, "Are you all right?"

"I…I'm really exhausted, Mako. Take me back to our room."

Pema rubbed her shoulder and offered, "Korra, dear, can I help?"

"No Pema, but thanks. A little nap and I will be fine."

But it was more than a little nap she needed. It was clear to Mako she was not all the way in this world. It took awhile to get up to their room, with him firmly supporting most of her body weight. Soon she went nearly totally limp and her eyes rolled back into her head, so he carried carefully cradled her in his arms, and climbed with her the rest of way up the stairs. As he placed her gently prostrate on the bed, she was fully gripped in the spirit journey that was trying to take her.

Mako was committed to just be there with her, keep everyone else out, and let no one disturb her while she journeyed to wherever she needed to go.


	4. Chapter 4 - The Vision

**Chapter 4: The Vision**

_Aang and Katara strolled lazily along the beach, surrounded by the beauty of the narrow sands, and framed by the jagged rocky cliffs that towered above them. They'd come here every day to this isolated spot for the past week, and left their clothes at the cabin, reveling in the freedom that gave them and thoroughly enjoying the unencumbered attractiveness of each other's older but still well-toned bodies. They were utterly alone on a much-needed vacation._

_The ocean waves crashed just offshore, rolled up, and ran under their feet, tickling them, and scattering the sand crab-locusts looking for morsels of food washed up by the rhythmic surf. They smiled at each other, and tightened the grip on each other's hands. Water was an element they shared together from the very beginning of their relationship. As married couple, they'd been one with each other for some time now, but that unifying bond felt stronger every time they were near water, especially consummating their relationship against the backdrop of the enormity of the ocean. _

_They thought of the innumerable times that they'd been one with each other at the water's edge in the ultimate expression of unity with one another and with their shared element. Including just the other day._

_And as a result of those years, now they had someone else to share water with. _

_Toddling beside them, hanging on to Katara's free hand, was a cute little curly brown-haired and mocha-skinned girl about nine months old, just as naked as they were. She was a little uncertain of herself stumbling in the wet sand, having just learned to walk. She squealed with the cool water swirling between her toes. She learned another skill long before she walked. She reached down and pointed at the foamy water and made it spin in a circle around her ankles and her mother's._

_"Ma-ma! Wa!" she exclaimed, using her newly-discovered speaking skills._

_Katara crouched down, smiled as she looked into her daughter's eyes, and said, "Yes, Kya. Water."_

_Katara pulled up a palm-sized ball of water and suspended it between them. It had a tiny fish in it._

_Kya poked the glob of water and it jiggled, and the little fish startled. She giggled. Aang stood and watched the mother-daughter moment and grinned happily._

_What he wasn't watching were multiple sets of eyes hidden in the rocks of the cliffs rising up from the narrow beach. It was the distracted moment those eyes needed._

_Thrusting out with their arms, rock fists flew toward the innocent trio on the beach. Over the roar of the surf and the trade winds, Aang never heard those weapons, but Aang and Katara were bowled over into the sand with impact of the rock fists and they grasped and locked around their wrists and ankles. The couple was completely immobilized._

_What was most disturbing was two rock fists had reached around Katara's and Aang's necks and were choking them almost to the point of not being able to breathe. Kya screamed and clutched her mother's leg, seeing these scary rock fists subdue them. Kya was untouched._

_"Dai Li? I thought they were all gone or executed," whispered Aang._

_Katara nodded and tried to calm their child as she rasped through the grip on her neck, "It's all right honey. Please just hold on to me."_

_Fifty seven men all emerged from the rocks and approached their completely hobbled targets. The leader made a casual move with his wrist and index finger and the pair were forced to kneel side by side, with their wrists bound in front of them, and their ankles handcuffed in stone too._

_He flicked his wrist again and the rock fists gripping their necks loosened a bit._

_"Well, well, well, if it isn't the Avatar and his woman. Sorry to interrupt your morning skinny dip. That's been most amusing the past couple of days. Especially the other day when you two thought no one was watching you –"_

_Katara flushed and interrupted the man in mid-sentence, "You've tracked us for days? Why?" _

_"To put and end to you."_

_"Why?" Aang asked carefully lest he trigger their demise. He had to keep them talking while he tried to get at least one limb free to bend. The pair's odds against nearly sixty deadly earth benders were poor._

_The Dai Li leader scoffed, "You have to ask? Seriously, Avatar Aang, you belittle our efforts. Again." _

_The grip on Aang's neck tightened. He gasped._

_"Before you kill us, please explain," rasped Aang. He was beginning to gray out a bit._

_"It's simple. You are the last air bender. We want to eliminate you both so there won't be any more. Especially before you breed another air bender. We intend to complete the task that the ego-maniac Princess Azula couldn't do to you that day in the catacombs. To avenge Long Feng's death."_

_Aang shuddered at the thought of renegade Dai Li still loose and stalking him and his family._

_"I did not kill Long Feng. He was executed by your King for abominations of your Order against the Earth Kingdom."_

_The leader was livid in his response, "Fabricated crimes. Hundreds died in our Order that day. Come on Avatar Aang. You know that Avatar Kyoshi herself started our Order of Dai Li to watch over the people and protect of the Earth Kingdom. There has been undeclared war between the air bending Avatars and the Earth Kingdom for centuries. It was your kind – the air bender Yangchen – that killed Emperor Zhen in his war on the Water Tribes' iunwarranted claim on the polar regions of the Earth Kingdom. After the hundred year war, it was you who caused the Dai Li to be wrongly branded as evil-doers and be all but exterminated. When you came looking for your precious sky bison, you meddled in our affairs too much. Everything would be as it was, had you not interfered and caused King Kuei to turn on his true protector Long Feng. It's time we end this air bender war on us by our terms this time – not yours."_

_Katara turned a fearful eye to Aang, and he tried to give her a reassuring glance._

_"Oh don't try anything Avatar, especially your famous Avatar state, or we will kill your water bending child with no regret."_

_Katara nearly popped a vein as she struggled to find a way to get loose._

_"What will be done about her when we are gone?" Aang demanded._

_"One of my colleagues here is childless. We will take your orphan child and raise her as his own. We are not that cruel."_

_"NO!" screamed Katara as she tried to get up and rip her rock shackles off, but she was driven face down into the sand with a forceful movement of her rock fist cuffs on her wrists and neck by three of the Dai Li. She could scarcely take a breath._

_"So do you love birds want to go together or does one want watch the other die first?" the renegade Dai Li leader asked snidely._

_"At least do us the honor of killing us together, but let us say goodbye," Aang conceded. _

_The ruthless Dai Li leader granted the Avatar's request, but was wary for a trick. Aang leaned over to kiss Katara as her eyes got more panicked, but he whispered, "Keep Kya close to you behind me and cover her eyes."_

_Aang turned to the leader of his would-be assassins, and made it look like he was bowing to the attackers, in submission of his fate at their hands. He held out his arms, but formed an odd flat circle with them as he finally managed to interlace his fingers, and extend all of his fingers outwardly as far as he could. Katara noticed the difference, and held her breath._

_He said, "It's a good day to die."_

_"That it is, Avatar Aang," said the leader with great relish, as he started to motion the rock fists to close enough to snap their necks. _

_But he and the huge ring of Dai Li were knocked over from behind by a large donut-shaped blast of air that materialized and coalesced from nowhere to engulf them in its winds. The gusts seethed with a howl far above the pitch of the ocean breezes and the Dai Li were spun about in place trapped in the concentrated hurricane force winds contained within the toroid that trapped them._

_The rock fists dropped from Katara and Aang, she scooped up Kya, covered her with her arms, and hid, crouched behind Aang's legs._

_Thus released from his rock shackles, Aang stood erect, and his eyes flashed into the Avatar state. Katara looked up from her huddled position to see more fury in him than she had ever seen, but she did not stop him this time. They were all protected within the swirling shell of his Avatar State. She wondered if any Avatar before Aang had used that shell to ever protect his or her family like this._

_Aang reached up to the skies and spread his arms wide, with his fingers splayed outward. Purplish electrical charges formed on his finger tips, and he spun in place, the sparks flowing outward in a sheet of glowing energy from his fingertips and into the toroidal maelstrom that trapped the Dai Li. The air smelled sickly sweet from the ozone-laced air. The donut-shaped wind storm sparked and crackled with electrical energy as it spun like a power plant dynamo. The Dai Li writhed and screamed in pain from the electrical shocks and poisonous, unbreatheable air_

_Katara could feel a terrible heat coming from the torus that trapped the Dai Li as it started to glow blue then white hot. Even more unsettling was the feeling of that prickly electric charge all about them emanating from the deadly toroidal airstorm, causing her hair to stand on end. The Avatar State sphere that surrounded Aang and his family maintained a protective cocoon of cool air, laced with water vapor, spinning and protecting his family to protect them from the deadly maelstrom only yards in front of them. _

_The super-heated air immolated the the Dai Li until only their ashes were churned by the tornadic winds within the alien wind storm he had created. The sand fused into molten glass underneath the donut of lethal air._

_Aang dropped his arms, bowed his head, and his eyes returned to normal. The toroidal air storm dissipated and human ash fell like black rain on the white sand and still-glowing silica glass that had been the beach._

_He let out a very deep sigh, "Never, ever threaten my family."_

_There was not one Dai Li left alive to say that to._

_"Aang?" Katara carefully stood up with a whimpering Kya deeply cradled on her bosom._

_Aang looked away, "Katara. I'm…I'm sorry you had to see that. There were too many. We're safe now. They won't bother us ever again."_

_Katara looked about at the carnage left of the assassins. She reached out to Aang and turned his chin toward her so their eyes met._

_"There is bending in this world worse than blood bending, isn't there, Aang?"_

_"I regret that is true, Katara," confessed Aang._

…

Korra's head swirled in and out of the real and spirit world and between life and vision, shaken by the reliving of Aang's reluctant destruction of the renegade Dai Li, and though she felt like she was coming out of the vivid vision of Aang's Dark Arts air bending, she fell deeper, and longer, and further away through her past lives. Images of Avatars of the past flew past her as her mind and soul touched every one of them ever so briefly. It was a vast multitude of Avatars, and it was nearly overwhelming, until she realized that she had been all of these people. More importantly, she felt the Avatar Spirit inside of her, and her feelings turned to awe.

Unlike the hard clarity of her vision with Aang and the Dai Li, she drifted in and out of the lives of several Avatars spanning several hundred years – men and women of all four bending disciplines. Through them she re-experienced the horror of the era of the Dark Times. She relived the screams and cries of a world in anguish on a scale not known in her world. Some of the pain was her own - at losing spouses and children and parents in the cruelty of those times. She felt the shock of losing her own life, struck down from behind with a broadsword, while protecting citizens with Dark Arts bending.

She experienced everything that Tenzin described that he learned from his father – all the abominations and atrocities of race against race and tribe against tribe within races. Bending forms she had never seen and wished she would never ever see again flashed before her – even some that those ancient Avatars before her performed both in defense and retribution.

She paused for a moment in communion with the Lion Turtles. In her mind, the agreements between the Turtles, the air bending Avatar of the time, with the very first of the White Lotus, stood in solemn agreement to make the terrible times disappear, as well as any memory of it and the Dark Arts that so characterized the barbarism of that era.

She drifted back through the lives and years, and opened her eyes, safely in the bed she shared with Mako. It would always be 'their bed' now. It was late afternoon – with the sun pouring in from the window. Mako was holding her hand, and circles of fatigue ringed his eyes.

"Korra? Are you OK? I thought you'd never come out of that spirit journey."

She sat up and hugged him, "Oh, Mako, I don't deserve the way you take care of me."

They kissed long and deep, further grounding her back into the present.

She said very seriously, "Mako. The Dark Times. The Dark Arts. It's still in every one of us. It was in Aang. He had to use it himself to save his family. And he taught Tenzin to protect his,too. I understand everything now."


	5. Chapter 5 - Extreme Measures

**Chapter 5. Extreme Measures**

Deep in the secret catacombs of the late White Lotus Grand Master Piandao's estate, the Grand Lotus banged his hand on the gigantic pai sho table in the middle of the vast underground White Lotus martial arts training area. The White Lotus Council met in emergency session.

With each slam of his fist to emphasize each point, he got progressively angrier, "Let me make this clear."

"We failed to protect Avatar Korra from being abducted right under our noses at Aang Memorial Island right under our noses in the very presence of Amon himself who slipped through our security. Thank the spirits Amon was so supremely confident that he didn't debend her right then and there."

"We failed to protect her from being kidnapped by Tarrlok."

"We failed, along with our allies the Metal Bending Police, to protect Tenzin and Korra from the attack on the Arena."

"We failed to protect her from the trap in Sato's underground lair."

"We failed to protect the Air Family during the invasion of Air Temple Island. After the first victory that the Air Family children achieved, they were all captured escaping, and were nearly all debent. That would have destroyed air bending forever. And we paid dearly in our fellows' death and debending."

"Finally we failed to prevent Korra from being debent. Thank the spirits for the happy ending by the hand of Aang himself. Each time Korra and the Air Family had to save themselves."

"And now the failures continue."

"A week ago, the Fire Nation Councilman and her family were killed in broad daylight, in spite of our best White Lotus bodyguard. There were only pieces left."

The Grand Lotus set his jaw, "Worse still, we failed to protect the Air Family and the Avatar again only three nights ago. In their own home!"

"We completely and utterly failed in our promise to Aang."

"Is there anything else I that could have gone more wrong. Have I left anything out?" he finished dejectedly.

One of the other Lotuses blurted out, "As a matter of fact, Grand Lotus, we did let Amon escape and Tarrlok is missing."

In a rare furious moment, he backhanded his fellow Lotus across the room.

Because of his eyes full of rage, there was a very uncomfortable silence among them all.

The Grand Lotus was not done, "We are disgraced! Never before in the history of the world has the White Lotus ever been so consistently defeated, and failed to protect those we are sworn to protect - multiple times! Something must be done to stop this, especially with this new deadly threat. Every mistake means lives lost.

The Grand Lotus calmed a bit, "This is not about regaining honor. This is simply about just regaining the ability to do our job: protect the Avatar and the world order."

Crawling back into his chair with a welt on his cheek, his Chief Advisor asked meekly, "How, Grand Lotus?

"By being smarter than they are and by outflanking their fighting skills, and by always taking them by surprise, no matter what. We cannot allow them to ever be on the offensive in light of their deadly intents."

"Easier said than done, Grand Lotus," came a voice from a dark-skinned young man in the back behind the inner circle of leaders. No one seated outside of the inner ring was allowed to speak. Those that did were normally dismissed for the rest of the meeting. But these were not normal times.

The Grand Lotus addressed the impudent young man in the back, "What do you know that we do not, Sword Master?"

"Apologies, my fellow Lotuses. I seek permission to speak freely," said normally quiet Master Swordsman Nandao, grandson of the late Grand Master Swordsman Piandao.

"Granted. Tell us what you know."

"I have studied these new Equalists' techniques in depth. We know there are new leaders, extremists suppressed as by Amon and the Lieutenant. We have good evidence that Amon and his brother, the renegade Councilman Tarrlok, his brother, are dead by their own hand. The Lieutenant was killed by Amon himself."

"We know that, Swordmaster. What of that?"

"There are no checks and balances among the Equalists left to stop them. The new leaders of these Equalist cells are much more ruthless. They will take any life, including their own, to achieve their goals. They do not believe the equal treatment of benders and non benders. They are singularly dedicated to revenge by killing all of the Republic City leaders whom they think wronged Amon, and anyone associated with them – innocent or not. Including the Avatar and Air Family."

The Grand Lotus grew impatient, "If you are unable to tell us something we don't know, you will be asked to sit."

Another Lotus asked, "Are they connected to Councilman Ping Deng, a former Equalist?"

Nandao surprised them all by saying, "The wire tap I put on his phone yielded one intimidating call to him from the extremists, and they washed their hands of him. He is just as powerless to defy them as everyone is."

That completely unknown news piqued the Grand Lotus' interest and he inquired more, "What do you know of their combat techniques, Swordmaster?"

Nandao swallowed his irritation, "Their techniques are quicker and more evasive than bending. With the slasher bolos, they obviously still have access to advanced technology, giving them an advantage over bending. We can never be caught off guard again, putting the Avatar and Councilman Tenzin's family in terrible jeopardy. Only this time they don't have to know our abilities."

"What would you propose, Master Nandao?"

"They know how we fight, and how we have always fought. We can do all the training to defend against their chi blocking and extreme acrobatics we want, but we will still fail. We are a step behind them at all times."

The Grand Lotus saw where this was headed, and chafed.

Nandao's eyes narrowed as he leaned on the table, "I propose more drastic action. We must go on the offense with our bending. They have suspended any sense of humane fighting now. We have to bring them down each time – every time. Dead or alive. With the Dark Arts. For the good of mankind, not for its destruction."

The room collectively cringed. There was a low whistle.

"The Dark Arts. Spirits help us," shuddered one Master.

There was an immediate reaction from the Grand Lotus, "You are out of line, Swordsmaster Nandao. The Dark Arts are forbidden. Since the Dark Times itself."

Nandao stiffened his resolve, "Without the Dark Arts, the Equalists will ultimately achieve their goal. The will kill Avatar Korra and the Air Family. They will break the Avatar cycle. We cannot permit that to happen. We must eliminate the extremist Equalists entirely. There is no other way."

The room sat silent, knowing the young Swordsman was right. Needless killing was always against the ways of the Lotus. But against a group of terrorists sworn to murder, it was justified. Playing nice wasn't working. It was getting them all slaughtered.

The Grand Lotus made a decision, but had to take this to another level, quickly.

"I will consider this matter, and inform you. We are now adjourned," he said gravely.

He waved off all objections, but as Nandao turned to leave, the Grand Lotus whispered, "A word with you, Nandao."

He expected a reprimand, and was shocked when he said quietly, "I agree with your plan. Are you prepared to train and lead a team of special Lotuses? Immediately?"

"I am. I will. I am honored. With that said, Grand Lotus, Shouldn't we consult the Avatar?"

"There is no honor in returning to the Dark Arts, not even for the greater good, Nandao. You and your team will not exist. She must not know. We cannot draw her into this. She must maintain the moral high ground, and must remain above reproach with the people. She cannot be seen as condoning bringing back the Dark Arts. For any reason."

"Don't you think she already knows about the Dark Arts?"

"If she did, she'd have already talked to me. Her spirit journeys are still very limited. She has not journeyed back to the Dark Times Avatars."

"You don't think she won't contact them, when she finds out what we have done?"

"If you do your job and eliminate the threat secretly, she will never know you even existed."

"I assure you Grand Lotus. We will succeed, and then the White Lotus can honorably continue to provide guard over the Air Family and the Avatar. The cycle will not be broken. Not as long as there stands a White Lotus. I accept that as far as the world and the Avatar is concerned, we will not exist."

"Then you will understand that I cannot officially give you my blessings. And if anything happens to you, I cannot help you, and must disavow you as outlaws to the White Lotus."

"I understand," They bowed to each other.

Nandao explained, "We will form cell of specialized fighters, silent and mysterious as the shadows in which they will lurk. I promise you, Grand Lotus, that we will take out the remaining Equalists, wherever they exist and threaten the world, with bending skills they have never trained against."

"How shall you be called, Swordsman?"

"The Black Lotus," he said proudly. He pivoted and exited the meeting.

The Grand Lotus prayed to the spirits that he hadn't made the biggest mistake of his life releasing the old evil upon the world, no matter how good the cause. And prayed it would not consume young Nandao.


	6. Chapter 6 - Lights! Camera! Dark Arts!

**Chapter 6: Lights! Camera! Dark Arts Bending!**

Mako and Korra got dressed for the day ahead, with Mako 'helping' Korra put her tunic on. She didn't really need her top adjusted that much by Mako, and admittedly he was more interested in what was underneath her tunic. She'd been putting that tunic on for years just fine by herself, so they both knew it was for their mutual enjoyment. With both of them having full-time jobs, they didn't get the time together they wanted anymore, so they enjoyed fun little romantic moments.

"I love a man in uniform," she said returning his dressing favor, admiring Mako in his police uniform while she zipped up his fly, touching him firmly enough to cause a reaction, and she smiled with great satisfaction.

"I think you meant 'out of his uniform'," smirked Mako.

"Yeah….tonight for sure, OK?"

"It's a date!"

"Big day ahead?"

"Yeah, the Council Chair and I dedicated the new experimental 'television' studio over at Asami's Labs," Korra explained.

"Yeah, I've been reading about that. Pictures through the air. I dunno, Korra, I still think it's going to steal your soul," Mako warned.

"You've done that already, you demon!" she nuzzled him and tugged on his scarf.

They parted. Mako caught the morning ferry to the mainland and the stop closest to the Police Academy for another day of classes.

She journeyed over the bay to the Future Industries Laboratory via an ice bridge, taught to her by her mentor Katara. The ice bridge was just one of Sifu Katara's many water bending innovations which literally allowed her to fly through the air just standing on a slab of ice frozen formed directly from the humidity of the air. It had worked everywhere but in arid deserts. Katara wasn't sure how it worked, but her scientific-minded brother Sokka always joked that it 'kept her one step ahead of gravity'. Korra had to travel this way today, as the Future Industries Chief Scientist had warned her that polar bear dog's hair would mess up the delicate experimental TV.

Across the City people took pause from their daily routines to huddle for the first time around 2500 experimental 'television receiver sets' to mark the historic day. Korra had wished that Asami could have joined them, but the young CEO wanted her Chief Scientist to get all the credit rather than her, and she was away on business with the Fire Lord on a new trade agreement negotiation. Zuko always drove a hard bargain, but his daughter who ascended to the crown was even tougher, despite the fact that Asami and she had immediately hit it off as friends, as well respecting each other as powerful professional women in world leadership roles.

Korra got to the experimental studio at the Future Industries Research Lab campus, and it looked very festive.

Shiro Shinobi was selected to be the emcee for the first live transmission, a natural extension of his radio announcer role. All were assembled before the camera, which seemed to be working fine – the City Council Chairman, Korra, the Chief Scientist. All the technicians and camera people were standing behind them, adjusting electronics and power.

She'd never met the Chief Scientist Dr. Kēxuéjiā, but he seemed a little nervous today.

"Dr. Kēxuéjiā, are you OK?" Korra asked.

"I'm fine. I'm a better lab rat than public figure, Avatar Korra. Chairman Asami should really have been here," he tried to joke.

"I was the same way when I first got here. When Sifu Tenzin told me to think of the audience as all in their underwear it made me more confident." she kidded.

They laughed together and that seem to ease the scientist's nervousness.

"Ready? Action!" ordered the producer.

Shiro said cheerfully into the camera, "Good morning Republic City! We're coming to you live from the new Advanced Technology Laboratory of Future Industries. You may be used to our voices on the radio, but today you have us right in front of you – the Council Chairman, Avatar Korra, and Chief Scientist Dr. Kēxuéjiā who invented this revolution in technology."

Across the City, people were in awe of the new moving picture technology of 'television'.

Shiro cued the Council Chairman, who started his speech, "This is an auspicious day for Republic City, citizens. Our City was built on the principles of tradition and spiritualism, as Avatar Korra represents, as well as technology and innovation that Future Industries champions with Miss Sato as its new CEO, and equality of all the races – benders or not."

The Councilman prattled on for awhile, and Shiro introduced Dr. Kēxuéjiā, who explained how television worked on a chalkboard. Korra awaited her turn to speak. As he talked, there was a bit of commotion. Strangers appeared in the studio, and the technicians were seized and knocked out. The lead cameraman had one stranger point a knife to his throat and the attacker growled,"Give me your camera, and get on the ground."

Slasher bolos were thrown, and while Korra ducked, the razor wire cut her arm deeply and she grimaced.

The Chief Scientist screamed as his left arm was taken off at the elbow. He collapsed in pain.

The Council Chair said loudly as he was subdued at swordpoint, "How dare you interrupt this!"

Korra could do nothing with the Chairman's life at immediate risk.

One of the attackers spoke, grabbing a microphone, "We can do whatever we want, Mr. Chairman. We want to celebrate the end of both of you today, and we want the entire City to watch as you and your precious Avatar Korra pay for your crimes against Amon and our other leaders."

"What makes you think I won't take you all out?" Korra threatened.

"We don't think you want all the citizens of Republic City to see you as a cold-blooded killer."

They were right, but Korra had to save them somehow. She could see the end was near as the terrorists garnered their weapons. Two thoughts entered her mind, _"Ice bridge…razor edges…"_

She crouched, stomped her foot, thrust out her right hand open-palmed, and swept her left arm too fast for anyone to react.

A white fireball erupted from her hand, dazzling everyone, and the flash fried the sensitive camera's aperture. The TV sets across the City went to white screen and static.

Underneath the Council Chairman, the stone floor erupted and tossed him high into the air, while immediately in front of her sweeping arm, a high speed, thin layer of ice appeared at her waist level, expanding outward in a crescent moon shape. It cut the camera in half, including the terrorist cameraman, and their leader was sliced through his waistline. With his eyes wide, the Equalist's last sight was witnessing himself topple over from his lower torso.

As the blade of ice continued swiftly through the studio, it passed harmlessly over the unconscious technicians on the floor, but cut monitors, equipment, cables, and the terrorists in two as they tried to turn and flee. Sparks and small fires erupted everywhere. Korra caught the Council Chairman in her arms before he hit the ground.

It was over in less than a second.

Incredulous that he was still alive, the Council Chair asked, "Korra, you saved us. How?"

"With an ice scythe."

"I've never seen such a thing. Where did you learn that?"

"It doesn't matter, sir. Just call it a gift from a past life. I hope you never will see it again, Mr. Chairman." Korra sighed.

With purpose she eased him on his feet, "And now, Mr. Chairman, if you will excuse me, I have a scientist's arm to put back on."


	7. Chapter 7 - Shadows in the Night

**Chapter 7: Shadows in the Night**

++++six weeks later+++++

High in the mountains above Republic City, not far from Tarrlok's mountain cabin hideaway, squatted a group of fifty radical Equalists, the majority of those remaining loyal to the new ways, were worked into a zealous frenzy by their squad leader. They were dressed head to toe with the brown-black uniforms of their movement. Most had removed their headgear, and most had their new slasher bolos and taser gloves next to them.

A leader revved them up, "The deaths of Amon and the Lieutenant must be avenged! And our colleagues who were brutally murdered at the Lab and on Air Temple Island. The Avatar, the Air Family, and the entire Council must die!"

They cheered their agreement.

He lied to feed their fervor, "Avatar Aang never killed, but this Avatar kills without hesitation."

Suddenly the words got stuck in his throat. He started to gasp for breath. He turned redder and redder and his features and body started to expand grotesquely. In the next instant, all the water within his body exploded from him to the horror of his comrades.

As the water evaporated, for a moment, the completely dried husk of what was the squad leader teetered in the forest, frozen in mid-speech, fell into the fire, and ignited.

The rest of the Equalists leaped up and took combat stances, frantic, and not knowing which way to face an unknown foe.

Brilliant blue lightning came in from multiple directions, seemingly faster than any normal lightning bending. A dozen extreme Equalists dropped where they stood, fried to a crisp.

Several threw their bolos wildly into the dark in panic, but took several of their colleagues out, screaming at being felled by their own weapons.

At the same time, sickening crunching sounds came from other Equalists, and they fell as all the major leg bones snapped underneath them. As some tried to throw their weapons, their arm bones snapped as well, wrapping the bolos around themselves or their colleagues, with lethal results.

There was yelling and screaming, and still they had no indication of who they were fighting. The remaining colleagues heard squishing crunches that silenced their broken-boned fellow fighters, as some unknown forces snapped their necks and ended their suffering.

A lone dark figure stepped out from behind a huge tree, with a long, black sword drawn. One of the three Equalists still standing erect among his dead or dying brothers, drew his own short sword, and swallowed hard.

His two colleagues fell behind him, as a tree exploded nearby unleashing a gush of water and tree sap, sending countless shards of sharp wood splinters through both of the fighters like pincushions.

The unknown ignored swordsman snarled, "Fight and die, Equalist."

"I will kill you, bender," he sneered.

"I am no bender. It's just you and me. You will pay for taking innocent life."

"You cannot take me alive, swordsman," the Equalist threatened.

The longswordsman spoke gravely, "I do not intend to."

The Equalist was truly fearful. He could not comprehend any of the bending used against his colleagues. But he knew sword fighting, and even though his opponent was among the benders, he was a normal man. He could be bested.

That was until the Equalist faced a swirling onslaught of sword play thrusts he'd never witnessed. The dark swordsman split his long sword into a long and shortsword. The Equalist could barely defend against the withering volleys.

The Equalist short sword fighter should have had an advantage in agility and speed, but the unknown swordfighter far overmatched him. One movement disarmed him. An unseen blade emerged from the hilt of the long sword, and the expert swordsman cut the Equalist's arm off at the elbow. He screamed, but still reached for his knife, but the swordsman cut his other arm off at nearly the shoulder.

The terrorist fell writhing to the ground. He would only last seconds. Fifteen other men accompanying the swordsman rappelled down from the trees and stood with their leader.

The unknown swordsman ordered a colleague, "Cauterize him so he doesn't bleed out too fast. The fighter nodded, and obeyed, fire bending the Equalist's arm stumps, causing the Equalist to scream into the forest, scattering the night birds from their roosts.

The longswordsman stood over his victim, and spoke defiantly, "Know this Equalist: that in your last moments, you alone of your colleagues know that you were defeated…by the Black Lotus."

"No! There's no such thing. The _White_ Lotus are just weakling do-gooders," he spat.

"There is now. And I can assure you, we are _not_ weaklings. Nor do-gooders."

With that, the longswordsman took his wide, jet black blade and jammed it through the Equalist's throat, and he died instantly.

The unknown assailants disappeared into the woods, leaving an unbelievable trail of carnage behind. On purpose.


	8. Chapter 8 - Wheels Within Wheels

**Chapter 8: Wheels within Wheels**

Xiāngfăng De Rén and a dozen of his warriors stood before the rancid carnage mid-afternoon in the forest. He shook with rage and even some fear. He knew something was wrong when what were fifty of his most zealous followers and best remaining fighters did not show up at the planned rendezvous point before dawn this morning, and there was no message sent from them. He never expected anything of this magnitude.

This added to the other two horrendous setbacks. The worst was the botched public assassination of Korra and the Council Chairman at the Future Industries Lab – that had cost him his five best men. There were rumors from the surviving victims at the Lab that the Avatar had used some unknown bending move that caught his people completely unprepared. He completely underestimated Korra and the Air Family being to be able to survive the noiseless attack on them while they slept. And now this – the bulk of his remaining fighting force lay butchered in front of him. He could recover from the other two failures, but this savagery before him was truly devastating.

_"Who could possibly do this?"_ he thought but remained calm in front of his frightened followers.

Whatever hit them had been unseen and had overwhelming force by the positioning of the bodies, and those few who saw their assailants clearly had no chance.

_"What combat techniques were these?"_ he asked himself.

He'd never seen a fighting discipline that could do this kind of violent damage. They were all attacked by multiple forms extreme bending. Who or what kind of monsters could do these things to men's bodies? Most were bags of broken bones, others were electrocuted - but nothing like normal lightning bending would ever do. Those hit were cinders. His squad leader was…desiccated. The water had completely been removed from his body. It made him shiver. Even the one conventional death by dismemberment showed signs of swordplay never witnessed in the modern day.

It had to be some aberrant sect of benders bent on revenge against the remaining Equalists. It couldn't be the stupid Avatar, who was too kind to order this kind of thing, or her inept White Lotus. This had been organized far too well. There was not a single casualty among the attackers, and they left no trace.

_"But who?"_ He pondered.

He'd return revenge for revenge, especially after two successful interdictions of his plans, by accelerating his goal to eliminate the United Republic of Nations leadership and the Avatar. It had to be much bolder and unexpected.

"There's nothing more to be done here. We need to leave, now," said Xiāngfăng sadly.

"Shouldn't we bury them?" asked a subordinate.

"We must leave. Whoever did this may come back, or be here already to kill us too. This could be a trap," warned the Equalist leader.

"But sir…" fretted his new second in command.

In a moment of reverence for his fighters, "Let their spirits mingle with those of the forest creatures."

The Equalist leader did not stop shaking internally until the next day, dreading the reappearance of a threat that was truly overmatched against his remaining 30 or so followers. Never before had he heard anything about what he had witnessed. But he must go forward. Amon and the Lieutenant and all his newly fallen comrades were owed that honor.

….

There was a glimmer of hope for Xiāngfăng's people. A report came over the radio that an attack against the new Fire Bending Councilman had been successful in a heavily guarded speech for the dedication of a new low-income day care center for non-benders in Dragon Flats borough. What was left of the Councilman and his entourage was barely recognizable, and the reports of the viciousness of the attack chilled the populace, especially when several had been cut down in the crossfire.

It renewed his spirit and that of his followers.

"We will continue our glorious victories, Xiāngfăng. By the end of the night, they will be all dead," said the squad leader bravely to their leader.

….

It was nearly dusk on the same day of the Fire Nation Councilman's assassination. The same squad of Equalists who cut down the new Fire Bending Councilman lay in wait for the new Northern Water Tribe Councilman to be transported by armored coach to his new temporary quarters. They concealed themselves on each side of the trail in the culverts to his domicile. The trio of White Lotus guards who patrolled the stinky, gray water was easily dispatched. The Councilman's most vulnerable time would be exiting his coach at the gate going into the heavily guarded residence. The coach pulled up to the entrance to his residence.

It was time. The Equalists struck. Their slasher bolos decapitated the ostrich horsemen, and the remaining house guards fell to throwing stars and knives.

The squad surrounded the defenseless Councilman.

"Prepare to die, Councilman," threatened the squad leader. They were confident of another victory now, and they could go on to attack the next one.

The Councilman pleaded, "Please, I didn't do anything. I replaced the traitor Tarrlok. He caused all the trouble with you people, not me. I am a non-bender myself. I am one of you. I have no weapons. I am statesman - not a fighter."

"Too late, non-bender. You take the stink of benders on you by leading them. Better that you'd stayed north," sneered the leader.

But before the Equalist squad leader struck the Councilman down, an incredibly chilled vapor surrounded him and crystallized him where he stood. The frozen body fell over and broke apart. In shock, the other assailants turned back to the Councilman, but he was gone. With the terrorists distracted, the Councilman had run inside and bolted the heavy doors behind him. He peered out the barred windows.

For a moment the Equalist assassins scanned the area looking for unknown fighters. But then, emerging from the roof, and bushes, and trees, they were faced with a dozen completely black-clad fighters, with their faces covered ninja-style, and adorned with black headbands. The person who appeared to be the black warriors' leader drew a midnight-black sword and threatened, "Prepare to die, assassins. There will be no Councilman's blood spilled here tonight."

"Think again, bender. Your blood will mingle with his this day," snarled the Equalist squad's second in command

He tossed a slasher bolo toward the swordsman, who sliced the deadly weapon in two with a deft flick of his sword. The pieces of broken bolo whizzed by him and he didn't even flinch when one grazed him and caused a gash. Instead, he and his men charged the shocked terrorists. The Equalists had been assured that the advanced metallurgy of the bolos would cut through any known metal weapons as easily as cutting through human bodies. There wasn't even a nick on the black blade.

Before the Equalist and his remaining men could react with chi blocking, his neck and two others were snapped by bone bending with a mere twist of one black-clad fighter's wrist. As another Equalist aimed a taser glove at the vigilantes, he burst into spontaneous flame – a fire bending vigilante ignited the combustible chemicals within his body. He screamed, turning the others' attention from their defense to witness the horror of their immolating colleague, who quickly succumbed and collapsed.

Instead of fighting back, the Equalists' spirits were broken. They turned to run. Several were dispatched by the vigilante leader's black blade, and those who managed to escape his sword were cut down from behind by a barrage of ice and rock spikes bent through them. One who kept running despite the spikes had his head crushed between two huge rocks that were drawn together by one of the earth bending vigilantes.

The Councilman could not believe what he was witnessing, with merciless bending being used to dispatch his would-be assassins. He actually felt pity for his own assailants, especially for the ones that were frozen and burnt alive.

The black vigilantes stood together after the attack, assessing their work. It was mercifully over. The new Councilman feared for his life, but the leader of this bender vigilante group turned, looked him in the eye through the window, saluted him, and he and his colleagues disappeared without a trace into the dusk.

The Councilman was not sure what to have feared the most – the attempt on his life, or the manner in which his thwarted murderers had been dispatched. It was bending, but bending at the ultimate extreme of inhumanity.

He dared to venture out into the ghastly scene among his fallen guards and the Equalists. He reached down and picked up a black on black headband that was dropped by the unknown violent men who saved him.

He looked in utter disbelief at the symbol. It was a black lotus.

The Council had to know.


	9. Chapter 9 - Temptations

**Chapter 9: Temptations**

The Equalist Councilman Ping Deng answered the phone. He had to hold it from his ear the shouting was so loud.

"Who are they? You will all pay for letting them loose!" yelled a muffled voice.

"I don't know what you are talking about," sighed Ping Deng.

"The benders who decimated three of my teams. We are still many yet, and we will get our revenge on the Council. Others will rise and join us in outrage at the cruelty you've unleashed. This is worse than anything Tarrlok ever did against us."

Ping Deng remained calm, "The Council has done nothing but order the protection of Councilmen and our families by the White Lotus – need I remind you of cruelty you did to helpless women and children? There are no White Lotus 'death squads'. That would be an anathema to their beliefs."

"Well there is some other secret force out there organized to kill us all, and when we finally catch up with them and defeat them, we will unveil your dirty little secret to the world and the Council will be overthrown."

The receiver went dead. He sat back in his chair, wondering what happened to invoke his former colleague's rage.

The bells in the chamber called for the latest emergency Council meeting – to be conducted as a closed session.

…

"Another Councilman was murdered and more White Lotus are dead with him. This must stop!" demanded the Southern Water tribe Councilman.

"Yes, but there was another failed assassination," said the new Northern Water Tribe Councilman quietly.

_"__Another_ attempt? Who? When?" asked the Council Chairman.

"Against _me_. Thirty minutes ago." Said the Northern Water Tribesman.

The Council was absolutely stunned, having no idea of the latest attack. The Northern Water Tribe Councilman had asked the Metal Bending Police cleaning up the mess to keep it a secret until he could inform his fellow Councilmen. He shuddered as he explained the attack of the Equalists and the human detritus left by the mysterious avengers. But he swallowed hard and left out one key detail.

They took immediate action in secret. The Council condemned the actions of the unknown citizens who saved the Councilman, even on the City's behalf, agreed that they must cease and desist, and to sue for peace and discussions between the Equalist terror group and the Council. The Council had to contact them somehow.

But with regard to the very public assassination of the Fire Nation Councilman, they did issue a public statement.

"Violence never solved anything, especially by my own people. I call upon the remaining Equalist splinter group – and any others harboring ill will - to lay down their arms and just talk to us," begged the Equalist Councilman Ping Deng.

He knew it was a vain effort, but he had to try, and he had to stave off any other terror groups forming, as he spoke for the non bender community. Sooner or later, word would get out of the vicious bending attacks against the Equalist terrorists. Things were so tense now that the City didn't need a more conflict triggered by reactionary moves.

Counciman Tenzin voted to support the condemnation but he said nothing. There was someone he had to talk to immediately following the Council meeting.

As the Council broke, the Southern Water Tribe Councilman cornered Councilman Tenzin privately. He pulled from his tunic the black lotus adorned headband.

"Councilman Tenzin, I was going to share this with the entire Council, but thought better of it. With your connections to the White Lotus, I thought you should see this," and placed the black headband in Tenzin's palm.

Tenzin's eyes grew wide and he held his breath at seeing the familiar logo but colored in black.

"Thank you Councilman. This for now must remain between us."

"Agreed."

They turned and parted.

…

Behind a locked door Tenzin made a call to the Grand Lotus, careful not to use his title to avoid prying ears, "Lian, what's going on? What do you know of these vigilantes practicing the Dark Arts? I have a black lotus headband in my hand. Is this _your_ doing?"

Grand Lotus Lian answered, "I officially know nothing of the activities of these avengers, but thank the spirits for them, or we'd all be cleaning up more messes. There is nothing more to say, Tenzin. And never say those two words again, Councilman."

He hung up the phone, frustrated. On the other side of the room Korra put down the other receiver. She had been listening secretly.

"Well, _that_ certainly answered our questions," she snapped in disgust.

Tenzin calmed her, "Well he did in a way, Korra; he said he 'officially' knew nothing of their activities. He didn't deny their existence. The Grand Lotus has clearly 'allowed' some 'volunteers' organize independently. Black Lotus… It certainly is appropriate given the incredible violence they've wrought on the Equalists. I guess I would have permitted it to happen, too."

Korra was shocked at Tenzin and snapped, "How can you say that? This is so _wrong_, Tenzin. The Dark Arts used for good? We are seeing bending as awful as anything in my spirit journey, but it's all too real now. It just doesn't make sense. I just hope that whoever they are, they won't get out of control, or cause Equalist anger to grow in sympathy to the terrorists. Or turn on us. I am not so sure we could fight them and live."

"You are pretty wise for your 18 years, Avatar Korra," grinned Tenzin.

…

In a secret place deep in the bowels of the city, the Black Lotus celebrated, but in a disturbing way.

"Man, we have been kickin' Equalist _ass!"_ bragged one.

Another smirked, "Have you seen the fear in their eyes? It feels _good_, man. Those guys killed my cousin. Revenge is sweet. Snapping their neck bones like twigs on a sapling is so easy. Too bad it doesn't cause much pain."

A fire bender complained, "Yeah it gets them out of their pain too easily – not what they caused me. I was _debent_, guys. I was so messed up that almost took my own life. Thank goodness my girl friend found out about Korra's restoration and stopped me from slitting my own throat."

"And remember my fiancé was killed with the first Fire Nation Councilwoman's assassination," sighed one of the water benders.

"Yeah, man, you guys were an amazing couple. Those Equalists deserved being destroyed."

Another fire bender asked, "Guys, what did you think of that immolation thing? I practiced it on a couple of squirrel rats. I didn't know those things could squeal so much. I caused that Equalist scum plenty of pain."

One of his water bending friends praised him, "Awesome man; that was great! I thought my desiccation bending was scary enough."

"It was. It still scares the hell out of me after seeing it in the woods, dude. That last group finally turned and ran for their worthless lives. We finally broke the will of those Equalist cow-pigs."

An earth bender speculated grossly, "Too bad there aren't any female ones, we could have more fun. I got some bending moves for one of them I'd like to try. I wouldn't kill them as fast."

They laughed evilly.

"I wish we'd been able to do this at the height of the revolution – we'd have prevented all the battles. I might still have my house and my parents still alive."

"Sorry man, but you're getting your revenge for them now."

"I'd still rather have my Mom and Dad back. There aren't enough dead Equalists to pay for that."

"It's gonna be hard to go back to normal duties when we hold this much power in our hands."

There was general agreement and frustration. They liked their new uninhibited abilities.

"Yeah dude, we're invincible. We could even kick regular benders' asses. No one remembers this stuff. I would have never realized that the calcium in bones is just like calcium salts in rock. And in pure form it's a metal. So it's much easier to bend. Those Dark Arts benders were brilliant," remarked an earth bender.

"Hey, man. I got a piece of that too. Pure calcium is explosive. Magnesium is flammable. What do you think I torch off to immolate them? Who ever knew the human body has so many flammable things right inside it?" the fire bender stated proudly.

"Remind me never to get you angry in a bar," joked one of his water bending colleagues.

The all laughed heartily at their capabilities, very satisfied with the destruction they could do with them.

"Oh wait, here comes the boss. We gotta clean it up."

Nandao entered the room and stood proud of his team's work to date, "My friends, I am proud of your work defending the new Councilman and especially your work in the forest. Zhui, you have the best echo-location sense in the world. I think you could locate a single mouse-cricket in the midst of Ba Sing Se."

"Thank you, but it was nothing Sifu Nandao. You had a good guess they'd all rally near Yakone's old hideout in the mountains where Tarrlok and Amon confronted each other. Once we had the 'stake out' going, it was easy to find them."

There was general murmuring of thanks and praise for that 'op' that eliminated most of the terrorist fighters.

"It's too bad we couldn't save the new Fire Nation Councilman."

"We can't be everywhere at once, Zhang," offered Nandao, "But gentlemen, I have more good news. I just overheard the latest call to Councilman Ping Deng. The Equalist leader is desperate. And there are only a few of them left."

"That makes them even more dangerous, and likely to try something rash."

"Yeah, like an attack on City Hall."

The Black Lotus team all sat back in their seats, and took in the implications of that.

Nandao's second in command said, "If we face them there, boss, we'll have to face our own people. What then?"

"I don't know, yet."


	10. Chapter 10 - Decay from Within

**Author's Note: **Oops. Sorry everyone. This IS a new chapter, I just misnamed the last one...

**Chapter 10: Decay from Within**

Xiāngfăng addressed his fighting team solemnly, "My friends, our numbers are fewer each day, and no one is stepping forward from the city to add to our numbers. We are not rallying the people to our cause. But we will not stop until our objective is met. We are too few to split up and take each one individually. We must destroy them at their seats in the Council chambers. There will be no more delegation of my authority. I will lead this last battle."

"Boss, are you nuts? The White Lotus and Metal Bending Police are all over that building."

"I know a way in. Right past their noses."

….

In the depths of the night, in a claustrophobically small air vent imbedded in the ceiling of the city's vast array of underground tunnels, three brown-black hooded figures carried bundles in front of them, and left them at a juncture of several other vents. They left them, and moved silently in multiple directions, undetected by the White Lotus and the Metal Bending Police who patrolled the city's main tunnels diligently ever since the Equalist insurgence was discovered ruling the underbelly of the vast metroplex.

….

It was another busy morning in the capital of the United Republic of Nations. The plaza was filled with people milling about. Some were tourists, others with commerce in mind, and some with other purposes. Xiāngfăng was one of those. Looking around the vast plaza surrounding the Council Chambers, he nodded. Randomly, from all corners of plaza, his followers slowly got in the security line to enter the building. Each one wore different clothing and appeared to be no different than the ordinary citizens.

They stood in a security line at the entrance to City Hall, as the Metal Bending Police checked every visitor. The Police sensed metal on people, stopped and removed coins, watches, and various other items. Korra disdained the procedure, but conceded that weapons had to stay out of the Council Chambers and this invasion of privacy was the only way.

Each of Xiāngfăng's team made it through the check point, and silently sighed relief that they made it through. They went to one of the information desks, still as individuals or pairs. Xiāngfăng asked a pert young woman, "I have an appointment to see Councilman Ping Deng."

With a cute smile she said, "His office is on the second floor all the way to end of the hall."

"Thank you. You are most helpful."

"Shall I call ahead?" asked the young woman.

"That won't be necessary; he is expecting me," noted Xiāngfăng.

"Ok then. Have a nice day," said the receptionist cheerfully, eager to help the next person.

The others took note of Xiāngfăng headed toward the office. Slowly they all converged into a single group of a dozen and walked down the hall. Xiāngfăng thought about how desperate they had become as their numbers were decimated by still unknown attackers. An attack here would be too considered too bold, too unanticipated, because all their other attacks had been against single targets. There was also the general and incorrect belief that the Council Chambers were safe from attack. He thought of victory.

He opened the door to Councilman Ping Deng's office, and announced to the receptionist, "We are here to see the Councilman."

The receptionist was startled, "I…I am sorry but he's not taking appointments this morning. He's getting ready for the Council meeting. Can you come bac-!"

But Xiāngfăng shoved the receptionist aside, said offhandedly, "He will see me now," and opened the door to his private office.

In the moment of face to face confrontation, Ping Deng and Xiāngfăng eyed each other. But he wasn't alone in his study. A naked governmental intern was straddled across his lap at his desk, and both were fully engaged in the afterglow of relations in his desk chair. She shrieked, got up, cowered in the corner of the office, and wrapped herself in the drapes.

"You!" Ping Deng said as he stood, not caring how he looked to the intruders.

The Councilman lunged to push the intruder alarm, but anticipating such a device, one of the Equalists grabbed him and held him. They held an arm twisted painfully behind him, and muffled his mouth.

Xiāngfăng walked up to the Councilman to within an inch of his face and scoffed, "We've come to visit you, Ping Deng. I didn't know you would entertain us first. As your constituents, I was hoping you'd show us a little better welcome than calling the guard on us."

Indicating he would not yell or struggle, the Equalist holding him released the grip on his mouth and he spat, "How dare you come to our Chambers to extract your revenge. No one will support you in this. History will only call you assassins."

"History may call us whatever it wants. We come for a final solution to the bending problem, Ping Deng. And you will help us, if you value your worthless life."

"My life is forfeit to save my colleagues. I will give you no help," Pin Deng spat.

Xiāngfăng snarled, "I think you will, if you value that young woman in the corner more than just a play toy. I think you do."

"No!" He realized what was happening.

"All we want is to be in the gallery when the Council meets. We will do the rest. If you do this, your precious girl friend will be spared. I will leave someone up here with her to make sure you follow directions."

"What about me?"

"Well if you duck, you might survive, Councilman."

"As you wish, Xiāngfăng. Let no harm come to her. But I have one question."

"Ask it," glared the terrorist.

"Why?"

"Because they killed our leaders and our dreams. Non benders will be suppressed forever unless we eliminate the Republic's leaders."

Ping Deng ridiculed Xiāngfăng's contention, "Amon was a hypocrite and a fake. All he really wanted was his father Yakone's revenge on the Avatar. It was ironic, too. Avatar Korra herself is doing more for the equality of non-benders than Amon ever did for us, with real results. We have a voice now. And I am that voice. I beg you to stand down. You'll set us back decades. No one will trust non-benders after today."

"Too late man of peace. You've missed the whole point. We don't need bender overlords. We need to lead ourselves out from under that yoke. We need something dramatic to change it all. Right now. Today is that day."

"You have completely corrupted the ideas of the Equalists," charged Ping Deng.

"Who's the corrupt one, Ping Deng?" Xiāngfăng motioned over at the quaking girl still wrapped in nothing but the drapes.

Ping Deng could only sigh in shame at his own transgressions that power brought.

Xiāngfăng went over to her, pulled the drape revealing her form, still wet with perspiration from lovemaking, and smiled evilly. Xiāngfăng dropped his trousers, and pinned her to the wall, and forced himself on her with a knife at her throat, lest she fight back or scream. She looked in fear to the Councilman as she was violently assaulted. Rage welled up in Ping Deng, but he was helpless to retaliate, with a sai held at his throat by a terrorist. He strained forward, and a trickle of blood flowed from his neck. She shook her head at him to do nothing.

For Xiāngfăng this was the best of all revenge against the coward Ping Deng. All the times Ping Deng had convinced Amon to hold back from real violence were paid back now. Xiāngfăng was violating Ping Deng's woman gleefully, knowing that if either made the wrong move, he'd kill at least one of them, and he was getting great gratification from her lithe body. No wonder Ping Deng wanted this girl. The only thing better would be if she would bear his child, and his retribution on Ping Deng would last forever. None of the three knew it was already too late for that to happen.

It seemed an interminable time before he finished, and she collapsed, sobbing quietly.

He dressed and demanded, "Pull up your 'big boy' pants Councilman, and let's get on with this. You. Girl. Get dressed. Say nothing and do not resist my guard or your precious Councilman dies."

She shook her head vigorously yes, dressed and sat on the couch with a guard inches from her. Her painfully tearful eyes met Ping Deng's, but each gave a look to the other with the promise of seeing each other again.

Xiāngfăng motioned to one of his smallest colleagues, who with some others, removed the face plate of the air duct, wrapped a rope around his mid-section, and shimmied down into the dark duct. It seemed he descended forever. A tug on the rope came from below, and two burly Equalists pulled their colleague up the shaft.

A meek knock on the door came from the receptionist, "Councilman, are you all right in there?"

Xiāngfăng shot a look that could kill at Ping Deng, and the Councilman responded back to her, "We're fine - just making plans for the Council meeting with my constituents."

The small Equalist emerged from the ventilation duct with a smile and a mammoth bag of lethal weapons.

Ping Deng's spirits sank, seeing the huge sack of weapons. They had thwarted the human metal detectors at the gate by hiding the bag deep below the Council Chambers. They had known the whole layout of the city underground for years.

_"__All is lost now,"_ Ping Deng thought despondently.


	11. Chapter 11 - The Final Battle

**Chapter 11: The Final Battle**

The bells calling for the start of the Council session tolled. It sounded like funeral bells to the Councilman.

"I have to go now; come with me and I will get you seated in the gallery. Would you promise me this: no more innocent killings, please. Just your main targets."

"If some of those 'innocents' start fighting us, I can't promise a thing," Xiāngfăng uttered coldly.

Down on the Chamber floor was the typical pre-meeting commotion of people milling about, joking and chatting before getting seated. Ping Deng showed them some preferred front row benches, and went to his seat.

The Council Page announced, "Please be seated for the start of today's deliberations!"

The Council Chairman banged the gavel to start the proceedings.

The hubbub of the public's chatter subsided, and the routine procedures of getting the meeting started began with a role call and a review of the Council's business for the day.

Ping Deng kept careful watch over the Equalist extremists, worried about their moves, and how a simple warning would set off the assassinations. Was it better to die knowing, or to be just killed instantly in a surprise move? There was something he had to do, but the fear of his innocent sweet girl friend – an intern unexpectedly turned lover – being killed in front of him, paralyzed him. That Xiāngfăng had forced his way on her in front of him infuriated him. Xiāngfăng would pay, somehow.

How could he tip the guards off? There were no White Lotus or Metal Bending Police in the chambers. They were all outside keeping people out. No one could imagine there would be attackers within. Yakone's blood bending attack was ancient history, and he was one extraordinary man that overpowered dozens of people simultaneously. Even the Police and Aang had been helpless in that grip.

But what Ping Deng unintentionally was doing was a 'tip off' itself by his sweating, his eyes darting about, and his heart pounding.

The beginning of the meeting really bored Korra s and she suppressed a yawn. This was going to be a numbingly routine day for the Council, with an endless number of licenses and contracts to be approved today.

She perked up and thought, _"Wait. Something is wrong. A heart is racing. Whose?"_

Her echo-location lessons from Lin were still in the early stages, and she had to concentrate hard through her closed eyes. Her eyes flew open, and thought, _"Ping Deng!" _

But his heartbeat was one of fear, not fighting. There were more agitated heartbeats in the room. She felt them. Behind her. A group of citizens were very nervous. Combat-ready nervous. She knew the feeling all too well.

She silently panicked, _"The terrorists are here! How?"_

But 'how' didn't matter now. She looked at Tenzin with wild eyes. He caught her alarm, and he quietly gripped his staff. Her senses steeled for a fight, but before she could think about getting up and challenging them, they made their move.

The radical Equalists stood in unison, and dispersed swiftly. First, they tossed a spray of throwing stars that jammed the heavy steel doors closed from the inside, preventing guards from entering.

Thus secure from retaliation, Xiāngfăng and several others threw the first volley of knives and slasher bolos straight toward the shocked and horrified Councilmen.

Korra turned instantly and crouched as a deadly bolo whizzed by her. Tenzin and she simultaneously bent air thrusts to deflect the deadly bolos above the heads of the Council. Instead, the bolos sliced the hanging lights that sparked and crashed to the floor, dimming the room to the limited sunlight coming in from above. The knives pinned two Councilmen to their chairs by their clothes. They had moved fast enough to avoid chests full of throwing knives, but they couldn't move. They wouldn't free themselves in time for the second volley.

Korra threw a barrage of earth bending thrusts of jagged floor tiles at the Equalists, but since they were at the peak of their athletic prowess, they easily dodged them and moved out the way to set up for another attack. Classic bending proved too slow against these experienced chi blockers.

Xiāngfăng thought with frustration, _"How could they anticipate this attack? They should all be dead right now. No matter. They won't last against us."_

He motioned his men to engage in hand to hand combat, and they sped to leap over the Council table and run the Republic's leaders through with their blades. Tenzin and Korra could be dispatched by their remaining weapons. They were outnumbered.

But the next surprise was not from Xiāngfăng and his Equalist fighters.

Ten masked men, covered from head to toe in black garments, with only slits open for their eyes, dropped from the ceiling and emerged from behind columns.

"Stop!" demanded the leader of these unknown men. The Council Chambers echoed with the 'shing' of his black long sword as he drew it from its sheath - ready for battle.

"Die, vigilantes!" Xiāngfăng seethed. This was completely unexpected.

The Equalists rushed to launch a flurry of weapons before they could be incapacitated as their fallen comrades had been.

The unknown defenders' reflexes were faster. Some reached out and made fists and twisted their wrists. Some of Xiāngfăng's combatants' heads jerked unnaturally to the side, sickening snaps were heard, and they dropped, necks broken. They slumped to the floor. Their bolos and knives went wildly awry, and the warriors dodged them as they lodged in the walls and benches harmlessly.

Another black-clad defender stopped an Equalist in mid-throw by desiccating the man where he stood, with a stomach-turning squishing and ripping sound as the water was instantly removed from him. His out-of-control swirling slasher bolo cut the husk that was left of him in half.

There were screams from the gallery of public who were watching everything helplessly. They were all force to watch the slaughter, trapped in the gallery by the throwing stars that jammed the doors out. The bending pf the strangers and effects of the Equalists' weaponry was horrifying.

Tenzin and Korra were too thunderstruck to react. They'd never seen such speed and agility. They watched the leader of their soulless saviors turn his stance and gaze toward the head Equalist.

He growled, "You have made your last stand and failed. Prepare to meet the evil spirits who spawned you!"

He charged the Equalist with his jet black sword held high, deflecting throwing stars Xiāngfăng from as he went with multiple clangs against his blade, and slashed down. But he sliced his blade against an earthen column that suddenly appeared, which trapped his sword.

"Enough!" screamed Korra. The column not only stopped the fatal sword blow, but it trapped the Equalist. Both foes glared at each other in true hatred.

Tenzin had his staff raised in defense should any of the fallen Equalists rise again to attack the Councilmen.

The Avatar and the vigilante leader turned to face each other. He left his sword buried in the block, but pulled a vicious looking knife from its sheath, and returned to his goal. The other Equalists lay dead and were strewn all about. Only their leader remained, whom he was determined to finish. That Korra had encased him in rock made the job easier.

"Drop your knife, vigilante," ordered Korra gravely.

He approached Xiāngfăng, ready to strike, "These Equalists must die. They killed all those Councilmen and innocent people. You and Council would be dead right now without us intervening."

Nandao ducked under an air slice from Tenzin intended to disarm him. He squatted, and threw a smaller knife flat-sided, so that it knocked Tenzin's staff from his hand without cutting the Air Bender. She immobilized the vigilante by sheathing him in an ice column.

Then she saw his headband.

"I know you are the Black Lotus," she emphasized.

"How do you know?

"One of your colleagues left a 'calling card' at the last massacre."

"So? Does that change anything? You are all alive."

"But why…this? Why these extreme methods?"

"The White Lotus was not protecting you, or the Air Family. We all let you down. Some of us had other ideas. We acted on our own."

Korra explained, "That wasn't your fault. I was foolish. I rushed in to so many things without thinking."

"It was not enough. The attacks kept happening. Too many Councilmen and their families and White Lotus guards didn't deserve death. We took matters into our own hands. We will always be on guard for you."

"Not this way. Not so extreme. These bending moves you do. They are an abomination. Nothing warrants fighting against enemies with the Dark Arts."

Nandao thought, _"So! She knows."_

But he rebutted her, "These Equalists - who were unrelenting and unstoppable - called for extraordinary measures. Restoring our honor demands it."

She tried to be kind, "You honor me and the Council by stopping these vengeful attacks. Not like this. Not by destroying them all. This is not the way."

"The Dark Arts are meant to strike fear in the remaining Equalists' hearts so they never try something like this again," snarled Nandao.

Korra tried to appeal to the Black Lotus leader, "Brave swordsman. The Dark Arts strike fear in EVERYONE's hearts, including me. The Dark Arts are forever in me through the Avatars who lived it. And practiced them."

She motioned to the people. They were cowering together, clearly as afraid of the black-uniformed liberators as the attackers themselves.

Nandao was stunned with the revelation of the Avatar. Of course she would have those memories from her predecessors.

What they didn't notice was Xiāngfăng wriggling his way out of his earthen shackles.


	12. Chapter 12 - Do Two Wrongs Make a Right?

**Chapter 12 Do Two Wrongs Make a Right?**

She continued, "Killing them is wrong, swordsman. It will give rise to even stronger, more violent resistance. Equalism is the exact opposite of all this. Tolerating everyone in society. Making them feel equal regardless, not by suppressing them."

She looked with anger at Xiāngfăng, "Or by murdering."

She returned her gaze to the Black Lotus leader and demanded, "You have to stop doing this."

"And if we don't?" asked Nandao.

Korra narrowed her eyes, "We are enemies then, my friend. And I will fight you and bring you to justice and imprison you. The Black Lotus cannot exist outside the law, and the Dark Arts are forbidden."

"We will never use the Dark Arts for evil."

"How do you _know_ that? Don't you think millennia ago the benders thought the Dark Arts would be used for right then, too? Look what happened to our world in those days. Look at you now. Are you not as driven by revenge as they were? You have to decide who you serve and support. The world and the Avatar, or yourselves and your precious Dark Arts honor."

_"__She is right,"_ thought Nandao. The fires of the Dark Arts burned within his heart. He had overheard his normally kind-hearted men talk like pirates on a blood lust. He'd never heard them behave that way before as normal White Lotus warriors.

He bowed to the Avatar, and lowered his sword.

"We still serve the world and the Avatar."

"You just took measures too extreme."

"It was necessary."

"Maybe then, but no longer."

"We must always have vigilance. We can never allow such evil to flourish again."

"But not with violence. We must create the conditions throughout mankind that abominations like Yakone, Noatak, Tarrlok, and these radical Equalists never happen again. If the people are content, then there will be calm. That is why the Dark Arts and Dark Times did disappear and were forgotten."

"As always Avatar, you are wise beyond words."

"You must end the Black Lotus, Sword Master Nandao."

He was shocked. She knew who he was. But he did not remove his mask.

"I cannot promise that forever, Avatar Korra. We must exist again if the world needs us. For strength on strength - against horrors more unspeakable than the skills we possess and employ."

Korra struggled morally with this. What was the right balance between right and wrong as far as the Black Lotus was concerned? Do two wrongs in fact make a right?

Finally she stated, "Know this Nandao: if the world needs fighters such as you to protect our world, that Avatar will know of this through my memories, and will make the judgment then. Until then the Black Lotus must be no more."

This is not the answer he wanted, "But Avatar Korra…"

Korra continued, "What would your grandfather do? How did he serve the world? Think of the kindness he showed Chief Sokka, and your heartless violence now. Which is the more honorable path, Nandao? Which way is honor best restored? Chief Sokka bequeathed you his second space sword for a reason. For peace in the world."

Nandao pondered, realizing now how she knew him. He understood that he could not betray his allegiance to the Avatar, and swallowed hard, "I serve the world and the Avatar as my grandfather did. The Black Lotus is no more."

All relaxed, and she released Nandao from his icy restraints.

But Xiāngfăng struck at that moment of them letting their guard down. Using his free hand, he pulled an unknown weapon from his side pouch and let it fly. It was shiny and glinted, and it continued to greatly expand in size as it travelled through the air unerringly toward Tenzin and Korra at close range. It was a platinum razor wire net, and it would cut them both down into chunks like tofu squares. It couldn't be metal-bent out of its deadly path.

At a frightening speed, Korra's eyes flashed, she held her arms in circle above her head, and an explosion of light - brighter than any earthly light - filled the open circle she formed. An equally brilliant beam surged outward from her. It caught the razor wire net in mid flight. It melted instantly and splashed as molten drops at their feet. It sizzled on her boots.

The Equalist leader was unfortunately in a direct line of the brilliant beam of intense light. Her eyes changed back to normal, and she quickly dropped her arms. The entire room full of people stared where the terrorist Xiāngfăng had been standing. He was caught fully in the beam that destroyed his razor net in one last violent attempt to assassinate them. With gruesome results.

The charred ash column that was Xiāngfăng – or at least all that remained of him - fell over in a light breeze created by a room fan. A bronze statue further behind him was a melted pile of metal, and it still smoldered. The granite wall behind the statue was scorched and had a perfectly cylindrical hole in it three feet wide and two feet deep.

"What was _that_ Korra?" asked an incredulous Tenzin.

"When the Sun Warrior Avatar did it first to annihilate a marauding army invading his island, his people whom he saved called it 'The Day the Sun Came to Earth'. I guess I'd call it a 'sunflash' now."

"I guess even the Sun Warriors had their own Dark Arts to survive over thousands of years, Korra. That was…intense…Korra."

"Near as I can tell, Tenzin, it's about a million degrees in the middle of that beam. Not much is going to survive that. And yet I am not even the slightest bit burned."

"The spirits' gift of bending comes with many miracles. I think Princess Azula herself would have been impressed with that. But Korra - you went back to commune with a Sun Warrior Avatar?"

"I had to. A few days ago. I had to know what happened. What to do. What to avoid."

"I guess I have to say thanks," admitted Tenzin.

Tenzin scolded the young Avatar, "You were in the Avatar state when you did that. You know if you'd been killed, the Avatar cycle would have ended."

"I had to take the risk to connect directly with that ancient Avatar to keep us both from dying. And you know I have always been a hard act to follow," she winked and snickered.

They managed to laugh. With that discussion ended, they turned their attention back to the Black Lotus. But none of them were anywhere to be found. They'd fled in the commotion of Xiāngfăng's last desperate move.

Korra sighed in frustration, "Tenzin, I guess they weren't in that much of a mood to be forcibly retired and be revealed to the world."

Tenzin sighed, "I hope that's the last we see of them, or have need of them. I still can't believe Swordmaster Nandao is their leader. Despite his warrior skills, he was always so kind and soft-spoken, like Father told me his grandfather was. I taught him many of my people's ways."

"I should talk to the Grand Lotus and demand that he arrest Nandao and his Black Lotus as outlaws and bring them to punishment," reflected Korra.

"Do you think the Grand Lotus is going to admit anything, or even think he has any control of them, much less order them to surrender?"

Korra shrugged, "Yeah, I guess not. It's sort of like trying to control me sometimes, right, Sifu Tenzin?"

"I rest my case," he chuckled as they hugged.

Tenzin turned to his colleagues and smiled, "And now, my fellow Councilmen, where were we?"

The Chairman stuttered, still recovering from his shock over the nearly fatal attack, "I…I beg the Councilman's pardon, but I think we are adjourned for the day."

And he promptly fainted.

Finally the doors burst open, and Lin and her finest officers poured into the battle zone that had been the Council chambers. Lin and Korra exchanged looks.

Mimicking the Chief of Police, Korra laughed and motioned like any typical cop, "There's nothing to see here. Everything's just fine. Move along, now."

Lin shot her a mildly disdainful look as she rolled her eyes, and teased back, "Nothing's ever fine when you are running it, Avatar Korra. Maybe you want to explain what happened here."

They sat together and began to discuss what happened as the public filed out, giving statements to the police as they departed. Some were treated by the healers who had come for the casualties that mercifully had not happened. The Equalist terror cell was completely decimated.

At the end, they all agreed that "The Black Lotus File" would never leave Lin's locked desk. Nor would the press know, and any of the audience who witnessed today's events and talked with the press would be dismissed as hearsay and mistaken.

At his damaged Council seat, Ping Deng relaxed for a moment, but he suddenly realized his girl was still in the clutches of an Equalist guard. He rushed to his office, fearing the worst.

When he got there, he saw her standing, partially clad in ripped clothing, and shaking as she stood over a corpse. The Equalist guard had letter opener deeply imbedded in his forehead and a huge puddle of blood surrounded his skull on the floor.

The intern stuttered, "He…he _wanted_ me – like their leader had - before he to planned kill me, after he saw what happened to his people. I…I wouldn't let him."

They clutched and cried together; he carried her to the couch and cradled her in his lap to comfort her.

"I'll never leave you again," he promised her softly.

"You mean you still want me after…after what they did to me? No one would want me if this had happened back home," she shuddered both in shame and relief at Ping Deng's words.

"I want you more than ever now."

She smiled, "Me too."

They held each other softly. He knew it was going to take a long time of mental healing for her. But this sweet, non-bending young woman - eight years younger than he - was going to be permanently in his life now. Neither ever expected that. He'd simply given this pretty girl from the streets a chance as an intern, having come from the deepest bowels of the poorest non-bending borough of Republic City – Dragon Flats. That healing would come faster than either thought with the strong love that was growing quickly between them, and from their common bond with as-yet undiscovered twins of theirs within her, already three weeks along.

…

On a cliff side in the towering mountains overlooking the vast cityscape far below, a small group of men stood admiring its beauty, knowing the threat was now gone. Their faces were revealed.

"We did it, Nandao," a subordinate said cheerily.

"The City is safe, the Avatar and the Air Family are still alive," said another.

"The honor of the White Lotus is restored," announced yet another.

"All in a day's work, gentlemen. Thank you for your skills and your bravery. Not a single man was lost," Nandao stated with great satisfaction.

But he warned them sternly, "The Dark Arts are a terrible temptation to misuse. Our ancestors banned them for a reason. Let us be true to the honor of the White Lotus, although we have the banned ancient skills."

He held his hand out and all of them pledged to live the honorable life. Unknown to the others, one did so reluctantly.

"Gentlemen, we are adjourned, until the Avatar needs us again."

Nandao's second in command turned to him, "Sifu, what are you going to do? The Avatar knows who you are. You're a fugitive."

"I don't know. Perhaps she will come to understand and forgive."

"Good luck, Nandao," his deputy said emotionally, and they gripped arms warrior-style.

They turned and departed each to their own lives, while Nandao pondered his new life as an exile. But he didn't have to ponder for long. None knew then that it would be sooner than later when they would be needed again.

THE END?


End file.
